Mike’s English word of the week, part 2 – Elimination

Sometimes one must re-organise and de-clutter their life to give it some energy and buoyancy.

The powerful word of elimination enables you to do just that. We often focus so hard on what we want…we fail to keep an eye on keeping out what we don’t want.

Take a moment to sit down in peace and take a blank sheet of paper and pen.

Move yourself into a transparent, honest and calm mood. Imagine that tomorrow you will wake up and find yourself in a completely new life…one that has not been built or developed yet. A complete start from scratch…except you can choose the people and things from today’s life to take with you. Kind of like packing for a permanent holiday.

Now begin to write down the names of the people and the items you wish to take forward. Next write down three wishes or desires for your new life.

Once the list is complete, it is time to begin.

And the first task is perhaps one of the hardest things to tackle. The task in question is the process of elimination. You must now eliminate all the other things in your life that are not on the list. And give yourself a sensible deadline. Everybody works better with a deadline. You are now going to create that new life.

Did your second car make it onto the list? No. Sell it. Did certain people make it onto the list? If not, remove them from your life. Do not feel obliged. Did the day job make it onto the list? Time to move on work wise perhaps. Did the tiresome routine of maintaining a garden make it? Did certain habits make it onto the list? You take my point.

Did you write down the area you live? Did you write your town’s name down because you feel you would not want to live anywhere else but there? If the answer is no…do you want to add it to that list? If not…simultaneously you can look to eliminate and change, all in one go. In short, sweet, simple English, it is probably time to move on from where you are.

To remove people or things that are long standing can be daunting and feel destructive, almost making you feel like you are taking a step back in life. But it is important to focus hard to keep out the things you do not want, just as you work hard for things you do want in life.

Shaking life up like this opens the door to new opportunity, and in some ways you are teaching yourself how to ‘live’ life again…focusing your mind intently on how to create that new life…because remember, you already know how to be alive and survive, you can do that in autopilot, now it is time to learn how to ‘live’.

The three wishes and desires. Focus hard on them and try to make the list come to life, safe in the knowledge that elimination made some space in your life. Addition is now welcome.

Your list could be a really long one and pretty much reflect your current life. That is awesome, you are wiser than I was . I once wrote a list sitting in my car on my driveway. It was so short I was done in 30 seconds. Ironic that the car I was sat in did not even make it onto the list. And yet I am a petrol head and that car was something that seemed to be an integral part of who I was.

Elimination and I got to know each other very well. In fact, we became the best of friends. Two months later I was heading one way into Europe from London with a different car and one suitcase with all my belongings. My list was very short and thus it was a busy two months to make my list come to life. I learnt to detach from material things, people, routine, my comfort zone and to understand that I can do more in life. And almost a year on, I have been enjoying a new life. Building it hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month. Soon to be year by year.

My list is now almost accurate.

Two out of three wishes I made true.

The third I strive for still.

And do you know what? I recently spoke of expectations in another article…and I had purposely, for once in my life, not set any expectations for making a new life…and somehow, I was rewarded for it. By making friends with the God of Elimination, the God of Addition and the God of Spontaneity seem to have followed him into my life. I guess they are all friends and have inter-linked lives. I am pleased to be part of their group.

Thank goodness I embraced Elimination.

Elimination, Addition and Spontaneity bonded so well with me that they now run as a constant in my life…sort of like an anti-virus software on a computer. The God of Elimination and I block out unwanted entities. We keep obligation at bay. A list is drafted regularly and a comparison run to ensure all is harmonious. The God of Spontaneity and I have learnt to keep the door open and embrace the unknown, untested and unexplored areas of life.

The God of Addition, well out of all of them I think he worked the hardest. He has brought lots to my life, almost equal to the number of eliminations. He helped to achieve two out of three wishes meaning he still has one more wish to work on.

So I think he needs to work harder.

Oh and by the way, did I mention you are allowed to write another three wishes down once you have achieved the three?

Actually I just made that up now. But it fits nicely. So I am sticking to it. In praise to the God of Spontaneity*.

Note* This article was due to be published next week, but we all liked it so much that we decided to also praise the God of Spontaneity and share it now!!

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Mike is an expat motoring journalist at www.tradeclassics.com and property developer who loves life...and finds writing energising and relaxing...so here he is with his English word of the week...infused with his own take on life! Stay tuned folks!